Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are common and clinically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders. Gastrointestinal disorders and associated symptoms are commonly reported in individuals with ASDs, but key issues such as the prevalence and best treatment of these conditions are incompletely understood. A central difficulty in recognizing and characterizing gastrointestinal dysfunction with ASDs is the communication difficulties experienced by many affected individuals. A multidisciplinary panel reviewed the medical literature with the aim of generating evidence-based recommendations for diagnostic evaluation and management of gastrointestinal problems in this patient population. The panel concluded that evidence-based recommendations are not yet available. The consensus expert opinion of the panel was that individuals with ASDs deserve the same thoroughness and standard of care in the diagnostic workup and treatment of gastrointestinal concerns as should occur for patients without ASDs. Care providers should be aware that problem behavior in patients with ASDs may be the primary or sole symptom of the underlying medical condition, including some gastrointestinal disorders. For these patients, integration of behavioral and medical care may be most beneficial. Priorities for future research are identified to advance our understanding and management of gastrointestinal disorders in persons with ASDs. Pediatrics 2010;125:S1-S18

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Context Clinical best estimate diagnoses of specific autism spectrum disorders (autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, Asperger’s disorder) have been used as the diagnostic gold standard, even when information from standardized instruments is available. Objective To determine if the relationships between behavioral phenotypes and clinical diagnoses of different autism spectrum disorders vary across 12 university-based sites. Design Multi-site observational study collecting clinical phenotype data (diagnostic, developmental and demographic) for genetic research. Classification trees were employed to identify characteristics that predicted diagnosis across and within sites. Setting Participants were recruited through 12 university-based autism service providers into a genetic study of autism. Participants 2102 probands (1814 males) between 4 and 18 years of age (M age=8.93, SD=3.5 years) who met autism spectrum criteria on the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and had a clinical diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder. Main Outcome Measures Best estimate clinical diagnoses predicted by standardized scores from diagnostic, cognitive, and behavioral measures. Results Though distributions of scores on standardized measures were similar across sites, significant site differences emerged in best estimate clinical diagnoses of specific autism spectrum disorders. Relationships between clinical diagnoses and standardized scores, particularly verbal IQ, language level and core diagnostic features, varied across sites in weighting of information and cut-offs. Conclusions Clinical distinctions among categorical diagnostic subtypes of autism spectrum disorders were not reliable even across sites with well-documented fidelity using standardized diagnostic instruments. Results support the move from existing sub-groupings of autism spectrum disorders to dimensional descriptions of core features of social affect and fixated, repetitive behaviors, together with characteristics such as language level and cognitive function.

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School difficulties were found to be a serious sequelae of ELBW in all 4 countries, an observation that has social and economic implications.

Neonatal cranial ultrasound abnormalities suggestive of white matter injury significantly increased risk for some psychiatric disorders at age 6 years in low-birth-weight children.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly recognized as a public health issue. Irritability and aggression (IA) often negatively affect the lives of people with ASD and their families. Although many medications have been tested for IA in ASDs in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), critical quantitative analyses of these trials are lacking in the literature. OBJECTIVES:To systematically review and quantitatively analyze the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic treatments for IA in youth with ASD.DATA SOURCES: Studies were identified from Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, and review articles. METHODS:Original articles on placebo-controlled RCTs of pharmacologic treatments of IA in youth age 2 to 17 years with ASD were included. Data items included study design, study goals, details of study participants, details of intervention, study results, statistical methods, side effects, and risks of bias. The primary study outcome measure was the effect size of reduction in the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist-Irritability (ABC-I) scores in the medication group, as compared with placebo, in RCTs using parallel groups design. RESULTS:Forty-six RCTs were identified. Compared with placebo, 3 compounds resulted in significant improvement in ABC-I at the end of treatment. Risperidone and aripiprazole were found to be the most effective, with the largest effect sizes. Sedation, extrapyramidal sides effects, and weight gain were assessed quantitatively. CONCLUSIONS:Although risperidone and aripiprazole have the strongest evidence in reducing ABC-I in youth with ASD, a few other compounds also showed significant efficacy with fewer potential side effects and adverse reactions in single studies.

SynopsisNinety-one per cent of a county-wide high school population (N= 5596) completed the Eating Symptoms Inventory (ESI) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). Being female, older and heavier are far more strongly associated with anorexic and bulimic symptoms than is social class. ESI approximations of the DSM-III criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia suggest that while both conditions are rare (less than 1%), bulimia is the more prevalent disorder.